Cub Scouts Attack Navy SEAL 'O' Course

By By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class William S. Parker, Naval Special Warfare Group Two Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va (NNS) -- Cub Scout Pack 364, had the opportunity to experience the Naval Special Warfare Obstacle Course ('O' Course) during a visit to the East-Coast SEAL (Sea, Air, and Land) and SWCC (Special Warfare Combatant Crewman) Scout Team on Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story Oct. 2.

The visit was in conjunction with SCOUTStrong Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) Challenge. Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge is designed to motivate participants to be physically active on a regular basis by allowing them to participate in activities they enjoy, as well as improving their eating habits, and in 2011, the Boy Scouts of America aligned with the Presidential Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition with the shared goal of promoting good health for America's youth. The SCOUTStrong PALA Challenge, a Scout-specific PALA challenge, is one of the results of this alliance.

"To earn the SCOUTStrong PALA Challenge award, a participant is required to meet a daily activity goal of 30 minutes per day for adults and 60 minutes a day for people under 18, for at least five days a week, for a total of six weeks. The participants pick their activities and strive to reach their goals, logging their physical activity and can take up to eight weeks to complete the program," said Richard Lebel, Cub Scout Pack 364 Cub Master.

Several adults and more than 40 children from the pack took part in the course.

Pack 364 had the opportunity to be coached by Navy SEALs (Sea, Air and Land), and SEAL candidates, currently undergoing the Fleet Transition Program, who motivated the scouts and showed them how to properly perform and complete each obstacle on the course.

"It was really fun to come out here today and lead the 'pack' through the 'O' Course," said Chief Special Warfare Operator Phillip Sandberg. "I really liked the team work and motivation the cub scouts showed throughout each obstacle."

The scouts really enjoyed their time on the 'O' Course.

"It was so much fun, my favorite part was the monkey bars, and jumping over the walls," said Gabe Warner, a Pack 364 cub scout.

The visit was attributed to the preparation and planning of Navy Career Counselor 1st Class Katie Warner, a Command Career Counselor and mother of Cub Scout Gabe Warner.

"The kids had a half day off at school, so I thought this would be a fun way to spend the other half of the day and also help out the cub scouts with their SCOUTStrong PALA Challenge award. The kids all had a great time and cannot wait to come back and do the 'O' Course again," said Warner.

The Navy SEAL and SWCC Scout Team identifies and engages high-quality, potential SEAL and SWCC candidates, informs them of a career in Naval Special Warfare and assists them with the recruiting process.

USS STOUT Command Master Chief Relieved

By U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- The command master chief of USS Stout (DDG 55) was relieved of his duties Oct. 3.

Command Master Chief (SW/FMF/MCD/FPJ) Albert Marcucci was relieved of his duties by USS Stout (DDG 55) Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Andrew Fitzpatrick following non-judicial punishment proceedings.

Marcucci, began serving as Stout's command master chief in May 2013, has been temporarily assigned to the staff of Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic in Norfolk, Va. Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Ron Glass has been assigned as the Command Master Chief of Stout as the permanent relief.

Stout, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, recently returned April 4, 2014 from an eight-month deployment to the 6th Fleet area of operations.

Airman uses LEAP experience to enhance AFSOUTH mission

by Jessica Casserly
12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern) Public Affairs

10/3/2014 - DAVIS-MONTHAN AFB, Ariz. -- The U.S. Air Force is made up of a diversely talented group of people whose personal skill sets often enhance their careers; one Davis-Monthan Airman is using his language and culture skills to support a unique Air Forces Southern mission.

Capt. Kawika Berggren, a C-130 navigator by trade and a fluent Spanish speaker, who is currently serving as the executive officer for the System of Cooperation Among the American Air Forces, was accepted into the Language Enabled Airman Program in 2011.

"The Language Enabled Airman Program is meant to facilitate the development and sustainment of foreign language skills of those serving in the Air Force," said Mr. Zach Hickman, the Language Intensive Training Events Program Manager, which is part of LEAP and falls under the Air Force Culture and Language Center at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. "The program is voluntary for Airmen and participants may be accepted for multiple languages. Once a candidate applies, that application is evaluated by the LEAP selection board, which typically meets twice per year."

After receiving an endorsement from his commander and being accepted into LEAP, Berggren traveled to Ecuador for LITE, a program designed to immerse participants in the culture associated with their respective language, as well as bolster their language skills.

"With acceptance into LEAP, which is a life-long program, we're supposed to attend a language intensive or language immersion event within the first 24 months," Berggren said.

In addition to LITE, LEAP participants also take part in eMentor training to further strengthen their language skills and increase their understanding of the cultural elements associated with their respective languages.

"Like any form of training, participation in LEAP enhances and develops the innate language skills and interests of individual Airmen to their fullest potential," Hickman said.

While all of the training and immersion has been personally rewarding, Berggren realized his LEAP experience has the potential to further the Air Force mission as well.

"The entire LEAP program is so that we have cultural SMEEs in different career fields," Berggren said. "I'm a navigator, who is considered a subject matter expert in Latin culture, not only because I speak the language, but because I have been down there learning the culture, going through the history, the mythology and the politics."

A combination of his LEAP training and communication with his commanders about his skill sets and career goals propelled Berggren to his current position with SICOFAA.

"SICOFAA originated in 1961," Berggren said. "The overarching mission [of SICOFAA] today is to promote and strengthen trust, friendship and mutual support among its members. Currently we have 20 member nations from Canada all the way down to Argentina. We also have five observing nations."

Having an understanding of Latin culture and being able to communicate fluently in Spanish, allows Berggren to facilitate SICOFFA exercises and events with these member and observing nations, which promote interoperation for humanitarian and disaster relief.

"This past [air chief's conference], we had a memorandum of understanding for bi-lateral humanitarian and disaster relief assistance," Berggren said. "For example, the earthquake in Haiti, if we had communications with them and if we would have had all of this already set up, we could have sent a message to all of our stations and let them know, 'They had a pretty bad earthquake, be on standby for assistance.' We're trying to guide towards cutting all of that red tape."

Ultimately, preparing Airmen who can effect change and strengthen partnerships through programs such as SICOFAA is what LEAP is all about.

"By identifying Airmen with proficiency, the Air Force gains a ready pool of language-capable individuals across a wide variety of career fields, affording a great deal of flexibility in fulfilling missions requiring language skill," Hickman said.

Team Navy Archers Hit the Bullseye at Warrior Games

By Robin Hillyer-Miles, Fleet and Family Readiness Marketing Public Affairs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (NNS) -- Team Navy scored a gold medal in the individual archery (recurve) competition at the 2014 Warrior Games, Oct. 1, at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Navy Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Jonathan Adviento, who is a first-time Warrior Games competitor, advanced to the quarterfinals after contesting and oversetting a loss in the open shoot off. During the final match, Adviento outscored his Air Force opponent 90 to 87 to win the gold.

"I wasn't nervous at all," said Adviento. "I knew I would be going against seasoned archers with better equipment and better training facilities. All I could do was hope all the hours I spent in my garage and a local outdoor range on weekends would pay off."

"I cannot say enough good things about my competition. They all looked amazing and their performances were top-notch," he added.

Last March, while cleaning his gun after shooting practice, Adviento's left hand was severely injured when his gun accidentally discharged. He has undergone multiple surgeries and therapy, but he still has limited functionality of his hand and arm.

Adviento also was part of Team Navy's three-person archery (recurve) team, which narrowly defeated the Marine Corps 162 to 161 to win the bronze. Navy Machinist's Mate 1st Class Michael Dayton and Navy Chief Logistics Specialist Averill Malone, another first-time Warrior Games competitor, were part of the team, as well.

Navy Counselor 1st Class Misty Taylor, one of the two females competing for Team Navy in archery, enjoyed her first competition after learning to shoot a recurve bow in recreational therapy one year ago.

"Our archery team clicks well and gets each other's sense of humor," she said. "We work well together in both the team and individual events. All the other team coaches and the athletes have been positive and congratulating each other and us."

Taylor added, "it's almost our whole archery team's first year and next year we're coming back and taking all the medals."

Also, Team Navy defeated the Air Force 28 to 20 in wheelchair basketball Wednesday evening, ensuring the team a medal. The team will face off against the Army to determine which team will advance to the finals against the Marine Corps.

Thirty-nine seriously wounded, ill and injured Sailors are competing on behalf of Team Navy this year. The Warrior Games are being held Sept. 28-Oct. 4. Approximately 200 wounded warrior athletes are participating in the competition.

Team Navy is sponsored by Navy Wounded Warrior (NWW)-Safe Harbor, the Navy and Coast Guard's wounded warrior support program. The team members have upper-body and/or lower-body injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairments, serious illnesses and/or post-traumatic stress.